I blithely asked someone who lives in the southwestern part of the U.S. to keep an eye out for a good store for me. "So what do you consider 'a good store'?" she asked.
What a great question! And it took me awhile to think on.
My know what my 'dream galleries' look like; I've been in a few. There's The Snyderman Gallery/Works Gallery on Cherry Street in Philadelphia, PA. And the Blue Spiral Gallery in Asheville, NC. Both are beautiful spaces that look like a cross between a museum (in a good way) and a fine gallery. Clean, open spaces, excellent lighting, classy but not glitzy. Each piece is treated like a fabulous work of art. (Blue Spiral only represents artists from the Southeast, so until we move, it really is a DREAM gallery...) That's what my dream GALLERIES look like. My dream store is one filled with beautiful contemporary American handcraft where my work would fit in well.
Wall space is nice.... I've had some enthusiastic stores who simply couldn't carry my work because they are so short on wall space.
After looks, I'd like to be in good company. I look for work by other artists whose work I'm crazy about, and think my work looks good with. A very partial (and by no means inclusive list): Work by Chris Roberts-Antieau (fiber), Natalie Blake (her pottery looks GREAT with my wall hangings), Joanne Russo (baskets), Susan Bliss (clay). There are the people my work appeared in conjunction with (William Morris--glass, Jon Brooks--furniture) and the people I'd like to be exhibited with someday (Christine Bothwell--glass/clay sculpture, Elizabeth Schulz-Whyte, baskets.) So when I see the work of these artists in the gallery, I know they've developed a clientele who want beautiful work, unusual work and who can afford those prices. When a store owner says they have trouble selling jewelry for more than $50, or they can only sell precious metals or stones, I know my work may not be for them. If they look at my jewelry pieces that retail for under $50, and complain the prices are too high, I know my work is NEVER going to be for them.
I look for either experience marketing and selling decorative fiber, or a strong desire to learn. I keep hearing "fiber is the new glass", and I hope that happens in my lifetime. People who love and collect fiber know that however high the price may seem, it's still much, much cheaper than most 2-D art (oil paintings, for example).
How the work is displayed is important, too. Too much "stuff" and the eye can't rest anyplace. If not enough pieces by one artist are displayed, it looks like leftovers set out. Artist bios and small signs explaining the work, the technique or the style are excellent examples of savvy marketing, too. These stores have learned that by gently educating their customers, they are growing an appreciative audience for their wares.
I worry when the store uses one artist's work to display another. This can work well when done properly. But all too often, the poor "display piece" artist gets their piece back marked and scuffed. Or no one will buy it because they don't want to "ruin" the display, or they can't get the stuff off it to look at it more closely. The more customers can touch something and hold it, the more likely they are to buy it--and savvy stores know this.
I'm learning that it's important a store knows how to market and promote itself and its artists. This seems like a no-brainer, but I'm often astonished at how little marketing some stores do. This doesn't mean straight advertising, either. If a store makes a purchase from me and asks for postcards because they have a number of customers they know would be interested in seeing my work, I know I have a winner on my team. I'm encouraged by the growing number of stores who ask for digital files or slides so they can do more web marketing, or submit press releases to their local media for events and such. I'm dismayed by the stores who say "they ran an ad once and it didn't work...."
Another sign of a good store is happy artists. They get paid on time, with no fuss, and good records are maintained.
The sales staff knows how to SELL. They don't say, "Can I help you?" or "Can I show you something?" They are alert and attentive without being fussy and bothersome. They know the work (and what's special about it) and they know the artists (and what's special about them), or they know how to quickly find out anything you want to know about them. They are honest about what looks good on you. They are "can do" people and happy to be there. They know how to close a sale without being overbearing. When I hear an owner say, "Everyone kept picking your necklace up and oohing and ahing and trying it on and they just LOVED it, but nobody bought it, I don't know why", I know this peson needs a Bruce Baker CD on selling craft, FAST.
Last, it's nice if the buyer LOVES MY WORK. Although even this isn't enough if the selling skills aren't nailed down. My work can be a tough sell. It's DIFFERENT. A collector needs to feel they are making a good decision, that it's a good deal and a worthwhile investment of their money and interest. I don't mean "investment" as in a money market account, but an investment as in it will give them much joy for years to come. An understanding of the work and attention to detail that goes into each piece goes a long way to helping a customer justify the price.
That's a long laundry list! It's not a one-sided one, though. I do my best to uphold my side of the bargain, too.
